Southseafest 2013 – PIE&VINYL STAGE

Back for its second consecutive year, THE PIE & VINYL STAGE returns to The Wine Vaults for Southsea Fest 2013! Brought to you by Southsea’s Pie & Vinyl Record Cafe & Outright Management, we’ve roped in a whole host of friends both new and old. This year’s billing shines brighter in both quantity and quality, with an eclectic mix of grunge revivalists; surf enthusiasts; lo-fi pioneers; Pat Sharp fans; reverb-laden fuzz and the finest local delicacies taking to the stage.

What’s more, this year marks Southsea Fest’s first ever Independent Record Market, which will be situated upstairs in the Vaults. Manned by some of the countries finest independent record labels, why not take a break from all the joyous noise and buy a few treats that’ll last you a lifetime?

~ THE ACTS ~

Rough order – look out for official running order and stage times coming soon….

–SPLASHH
Leading the feedback-laden grunge revival with a string of smash hit singles, Pie & Vinyl favourites SPLASHH headline this year’s proceedings with a performance that promises to raise the rafters as much – and if not more – than last year’s headliners Bo Ningen. Having grown up between Australia and the UK, their scorching surf pop anthems invigorate feelings of not only a good time on the beach, but also the grittier sound of 90s grunge and the decade-long garage rock revolution. Having recently released their debut album ‘Comfort’, this four piece promise to bring the noise: can you promise to sing along?

–CHEATAHS
Featuring a multinational, ensemble cast consisting of members of both Male Bonding and Weird Dreams, London’s Cheatahs have been making a name for themselves by handpicking their sound straight from 1994. Defined by slick garage rock riffs, a penchant for ‘90s grunge and shoegaze plus a harrowing Lou Barlow-esque croon, Cheatahs not only channel the likes of Dinosaur Jr. and Husker Du but also add their own sense of melody and shining lo-fi aesthetic to boot. Their EP compilation record – ‘Extended Plays’ – is available now on Wichita Recordings.

–TRAAMS
Having produced an EP with the King of Buzz Rory Atwell (Test Icicles) and his right-hand man in lo-fi aesthetics, MJ (Hookworms), Chichester’s Traams may be a three-piece ramshackle entity, but the enormous sound they conjure up says they’re anything but sketchy live. Taking influence from off-kilter and experimental bands like Abe Vigoda and Women, they combine slinky and driven guitar lines with an ear for irregular time signatures and a firm understanding of the post-punk aesthetic.

–JAWS
You’ve heard of Peace and Swim Deep, but Jaws are the Birmingham band you should really be keeping your ears on. Born out of the same wave of buzz that catapulted the aforementioned bands to fame, Jaws should by no means be defined by it: those guys revel in a finely polished package; Jaws revel instead in a sweet, shimmering aesthetic. Sure, they pack that summertime beach vibe fans of Beach Fossils and Wild Nothing can get behind, but they also have the glistening guitar lines that makes bands like Diiv and Real Estate so mesmerising.

–GIRL BAND
Essentially dark, brooding post-punk from Dublin, GIRL BAND aren’t confined to that sound in the slightest. Perhaps gaining the most attention through a ferocious and incredibly unqiue cover of Blawan’s ‘Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage’, GIRL BAND return to Southsea after a storming set for Pie & Viny Presents last year that had everyone’s heads spinning. If you’re a fan of erratic time signatures, mclusky, ear-shattering volumes and a bloody good time, you’d be a fool to miss these guys raise the roof of the Vaults as they surely will.

–FAWN SPOTS
Signed to Pie & Vinyl favourites Fire Records, Brighton noiseniks Fawn Spots bring the more lo-fi end of the garage rock spectrum to the Wine Vaults. Having released split 7”s with Cum Stain (with artwork designed by a highlight of last year’s event, JOEY FOURR), their next adventure is another split with fellow Fire Records residents Scott & Charlene’s Wedding. If you’re up for getting a bit sweaty and silly, Fawn Spots will be on hand to fill your head with a frantic fuzziness that’ll leave your eyes obliterated for days.

–OLIVER WILDE
Bristol native Oliver Wilde is a producer in mind and a master songwriter at heart. His songs evoke stunning landscapes beautifully crafted by the layers of dazzling electronics, which all together map out his influences like a perect dot-to-dot puzzle. Shoegaze, folk and minimal electro all play a big part in Oliver’s music, and his recently released debut album ‘A Brief Introduction To Unnatural Lightyears’ serves as a perfect amalgamation of them all – as well as a not so brief introduction to the man himself.

–SHINIES
Turning heads with the video for their single ‘Ennui’ in which they kidnap and burn ‘80s radio icon Pat Sharp, the tunes behind the instruments in Shinies are by no means as aggressive or nihilistic. In fact, they churn out shoegaze with a classic pop twist: glistening guitars collide with a soft, Smith Westerns-esque vocal quality to them, ultimately creating indie pop gems that dig deep into your brain and don’t let go for days. They’re incredibly nostalgic and yet endlessly refreshing at the same time; their washed out and glowing melodies standing the test of time alongside their influences.

–BLOOD SPORT
Arguably the most experimental band of the day, Sheffield’s Blood Sport continue to pave the way for the noisy-yet-nonchalant Yorkshire-based response to the Midland’s assaultive anthemia. Indulging in a perfection of rhythm and effects, Blood Sport unite the two in total harmony; bouncing otherworldly and oscillating sounds off of each other that draws you in until you’re completely hypnotised beyond all comprehension.

–TIDAL WARS
Making their debut at festival last year, Bristol’s Tidal Wars return to the stage with new material as well as a refinement sonically. Still a four piece, the band have now steered slightly out of noir pop & shoegaze territory into a more Americana-tinged experimental folk sound. Rest assured, under all the cobwebs of reverb and rattles, the tunes are still there, and they’re ready to make their entrance by the time September rolls around.

–THE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY
Consisting of members of other Southsea Fest attendants Tyrannosaurus Dead, The Hundredth Anniversay are the calm before the fuzz pop storm, bringing a beautifully crafted indie pop sound to the stage. Another gem found within the walls of Brighton, these guys aren’t one to miss if you’re a fan of eloquently delivered vocals and intricate, ethereally driven guitar lines.

–CROWS
Wonderfully psychedelic with a tad of post-punk to boot, London’s Crows are as dark, brooding and mysterious as other similarly placed bands along the lines of Flats and Eagulls. But rather than coarse, crunching guitars and vocals, Crows trade those in for a more grittier, bluesy vibe that’s effortlessly cool and echoes what the likes of The Wytches and Drenge are currently achieving in this malignant crack that’s appearing between grunge and blues.

–THE B OF THE BANG
Southsea’s finest return with their simply stunning live show. Combining all elements of music from intricate folk rock to anthemic indie pop, The B of the Bang’s performance is one that gets even bigger and better each time you see them. Their second record ‘Tremors and Nosebleeds: The Melodies of a Malady’ was released via Pie & Vinyl Records earlier this year, and since then they’ve gone on to support Smoke Fairies in a church. If there’s one local act you see all day, be it these guys.

–BELLYEYESMILE
Pompey favourites Bellyeyesmile kick of proceedings with their tightly refined rock ‘n’ roll that’ll have your feet moving before you’ve even had your first beer. For first timers, these guys are well and truly nuts: fronted by their drummer, Bellyeyesmile are erratic and at times indescribable, finding themselves falling somewhere in-between We Are The Physics and Future of the Left. With undeniably groovy basslines and infectious melodies to boot, why would you want to start you day any other way?